Atamasthanadhipathi at Court 22 - The Minister says she will appear on behalf of the girl

Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate Siyapath Sasindu Wickramarathne has ordered the Superintendent of the Colombo Remand Prison to produce the Chief Incumbent of the Atamasthana in Anuradhapura, Pallegama Hemarathana Thero, who is accused in connection with the controversial incident of abusing a minor girl in the Anuradhapura area, before the court on the upcoming 22nd.

The suspect monk, who is currently remanded until the 22nd of this month by an order of Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasekara, was transferred from a private hospital in Colombo to the National Hospital based on the same court order. Prison officials have confirmed to the court through medical reports, via the Superintendent of Anuradhapura Prison, that the monk is currently undergoing medical examinations and treatment there.

Meanwhile, the Chief Magistrate vehemently rejected the request made by attorney Pradeep Dissanayake, on behalf of the girl's mother, who is remanded on the charge of allegedly handing over her minor daughter to the suspect monk for rape with the intention of obtaining money, to grant bail under any condition. She was also ordered to be further remanded until the 22nd. Nittambuwa Police informed the Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate's Court on the 15th that investigations into the incident have now been concluded, and further reports and extracts have been sent to the Attorney General for instructions.

A legal team of nearly twenty lawyers, led by President's Counsel Kalinga Indratissa and other senior lawyers, appeared for the suspect Hemarathana Thero. The President's Counsel requested the court not to make a bail application for his client on that day and to order the police to expedite the investigations. While the Headquarters Chief Police Inspectors from Nittambuwa and Anuradhapura Police Stations and officials from the Child and Women's Bureaus represented the prosecution, it was noteworthy that no external lawyer appeared in court for the victim girl.

Correcting the rumors circulating in society regarding this situation, Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj made a special statement, emphasizing that the Ministry acts based on the ethics of protecting the identity of victims in such incidents. The Minister pointed out that since the police, or the government, acts as the complainant in this case, the non-appearance of a separate lawyer for the girl is not an issue given the nature of the case. The Minister further stated that all activities, including recording evidence and site inspections, have been carried out by the police representing the government, and the suspects were arrested through a motion with the intervention of the Child Protection Authority. She also mentioned that the intervention of the Attorney General has been requested for the girl's protection.